Going off my meds: A rant about the pharmaceutical industry and psychiatrists

I understand but everyone is different and what works for the next person might not work for you

Okay so word of advice ween yourself off slowly by having a doctor monitor you . You don't want to find yourself in an episode of a psychosis. So, I would change my diet to a healthier one talk to a neuro science nutritionist about that or someone that has experience as a dietitian or a nutritionist then start taking fermented foods. Side effects of cold turkey stopping meds are not healthy I know I tried to go in the wrong direction and the withdrawals were horrible slow is the way to go. Also start reading about alternative healthier ways on people who have a holistic naturepathic and eat foods and exercise approach to everyday life and coping mechanisms. Read books they can save your life and find a friend for support and who knows something about your mental health history or a counselor about how you will deal with everyday life in this way.

I avoided meds for four years because I felt the same way. Multiple hospitalizations later and baker acts cuz I kept getting psychotic I finally got on Gordon and I haven’t had an episode since. I live a good life. Have custody of my kids again. Make great money. I feel normal now. It saved my life. I still think about getting off one day again but if I do it will be an incredibly slow taper with a compounding pharmacy so I can go thru the least withdrawal possible and have my meds on hand if I develop symptoms again but I don’t know if I wanna risk it. I’ve gained so much of my life back. I understand the frustration though.

Have you ever experienced psychosis?

I’m not gonna tell you what to do or how to do it. But I recommend that you focus on yourself and ask someone who can see the outside. Someone who can notice who you are normally off meds and on. Which is better. I pray you heal 🙏

I know how you feel, "did you take your meds?" "you only act like this off your meds" But going off meds will only make it worse.

There is no in depth scientific proof that meds work for everyone, it’s a theory

Yeah… I got an important question. Has your episode(s) been substance induced? I have an identical twin and he doesn’t have bipolar disorder, so I thought… if he doesn’t have it then I probably don’t have it. All my episodes have been from substance misuse. I plan on getting off meds as soon as I get off of nicotine. On my 4th day no nicotine right now and I’m feeling relief for my depression and anxiety, just struggling with the cravings here and there. If you don’t like the medications your on but still need some, I recommend Lamotrigine… it’s super non-invasive and chills you out by amplifying GABA (your calm neurotransmitter) and inhibiting Glutamate (your excitatory neurotransmitter). I’m currently on it and it’s chill: I don’t feel the heaviness of mood stabilizers like Depakote or Lithium. I only take the antipsychotic Olanzapine as a PRN for nights where I have a hard time sleeping.

I’m hearing that you have tried so many things, which is exhausting. I haven’t tried many medications, but the bad reactions I’ve had have been very extreme with so many of the rare side effects. I get it. If I do need another med, I’ve considering getting pharogenetic testing done to help narrow down which meds might be well tolerated and effective. Might be something to consider. Please stick with things though. Bring off meds can often make things worse.

please talk to your doctor before going off your medication. they can't force you to take it, but they can help you stop taking it in ways that won't put you in danger. stopping medication very suddenly can cause a range of dangerous side effects. please also keep in mind that, while psychiatric medication does have scientifically provable effects, and is not based on just "guessing" (binding to receptors, increasing production of chemicals, etc) no medication is a silver bullet. you may have just not tried the correct medication, dose, or combination of medications for you, because every person's chemistry is different and stability feels different for everyone. generally speaking, medication, if taken regularly, at the correct dose and as prescribed, will HELP by making those chemical changes, and other things like therapy, coping skills, and mindfulness also help. together, the combined powers of a range of strategies are what can achieve stability.